Hi, my name is Rebecca Richardson. I'm thirty years old and a wife and mother to my three beautiful children; Teddy, Aggie and Woody.
Quick Summary: I give this car seat 4 out of 5 stars as although some aspects could be improved to make day to day journeys less stressful, my son is very comfortable and safe when travelling and the seat will last a long while yet making it good value for money.
Whats good?
- High safety rating
- Lie flat technology
- Spacious
- Easy to fit with seat belt
- Long suitability
Whats not so good?
- Fiddly harness
- Hard to access the seat when in the car
- Indicators to let you know when the seat is fitted on the base safely are not easily visible
- Headrest is not easily altered (mechanism stiff - requires two hands)
Table of contents
- Introduction
- First Impressions
- February the 20th 2017
- February the 27th 2017
- March the 6th 2017
- March the 14th 2017
- March the 20th 2017
- March the 27th 2017
- March the 29th 2017
- April the 3rd 2017
- April the 12th 2017
- April the 24th 2017
- May the 4th 2017
- Final Summary
Introduction
Hi, my name is Rebecca Richardson. I’m thirty years old and a wife and mother to my three beautiful children; Teddy, Aggie and Woody.
I live in a small village in the Peak District in Derbyshire. Before having children I worked as a senior nursery nurse and teaching assistant which was something I loved and felt extremely passionate about.
Now my role as ‘mum’ means I get to implement all I learnt in practise and have lots of fun watching my children grow and develop into the eccentric individuals they are today.
I also enjoy spending time with family and friends.
First Impressions
My first impressions are – attractive, lovely colour, surprisingly light.
Direct comparison to my old car seat – taller, wider and seems generally better made. The infant support being significantly padded and well cushioned to the touch.
BRITAX ADVISE YOU TO ONLY USE THEIR APPROVED ACCESSORIES
When I initially put Woody in the seat (age 10 weeks) I found it difficult to pull the straps looser/bigger together as instructed. Put that down to it not being fastened securely in its base (on a slippy surface I seemed to pull the whole seat forward rather than just pulling the straps).
Fitting the base to the car – very easy to fit in the car. Instructions provided were not for the correct seat base. Therefore I used the Britax own video via YouTube which was easy to follow and took less than five minutes to fit.
The only aspect I would change on first impression is the plastic teeth fastening of the harness/straps. I can’t make it fasten/click. Even on second and third attempt they don’t click into place without a struggle. An aspect of my old car seat I had completely overlooked as it fastened with ease and without any battles (obvious difference being those on my old car teeth were metal where as these are plastic and the only part of the car seat that appears to be cheap) Something that will frustrate me if it doesn’t improve over time and will make any outing a bit of a fight. Especially in horrible weather!
February the 20th 2017
The more I have used the car seat, the more I notice that the visibility of the safety check points on the base are in a difficult place to see when fitting in the car. Especially in the winter months when it is dark early morning and late afternoon. I’ve used the torch on my phone multiple times to check that they have turned green, and the seat is fitted safely.
A simple noise alert to let you know when fitted correctly or a flashing icon (positioned in a place that is easily visible) would make a massive difference.
The infant support is fantastic. It cradles my sons head and makes him feel safe and secure with the side supports. I feel reassured he is safe and he has slept happily on recent outings in his new seat.
February the 27th 2017
Today we went out for lunch with my mum, Woody’s Mamma. I didn’t want to stand fitting the base in the rain so decided to fasten Woody in using the seatbelt.
The design of the seat and this aspect is so simple to follow and stands out with the different coloured plastic (blue) guiding the belt along. Took seconds and felt secure.
March the 6th 2017
Well it took me longer than it should and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it!
When I received the car seat, and from the information I had previously received about it, I expected the car seat to lie flat. As flat as you would be when lying on a bed. I didn’t get the reference to it at all and as far as I could see it definitely did not lie flat… until that is I took a photo of my son in his car seat from the side and it struck me.
His head and neck were in perfect alignment with his spine. He was indeed in a lie flat position after all.
BRITAX ADVISE YOU TO ONLY USE THEIR APPROVED ACCESSORIES
I took it upon myself to look into the lie flat information provided by Britax and there it was in black and white.
The perfect ergonomic position and a very comfortable baby!
March the 14th 2017
Out and about with family over the weekend, I was forced to sit in the back of the car between my two children for what seemed like the longest 20 minute journey ever!
Within that time my son fell asleep, much to my relief, but sitting by the side of him I noticed his head fell forward. I pushed it back and within two minutes it dropped forward again. Shocked I wonder how many journeys I’ve made unaware of his position.
Note: this occurred with the infant support fitted. Woody is now 13 weeks old. I plan to remove the support to see if he appears more comfortable. It was also when fitted with a seat belt. I have not noticed this happen when fitted on the adjustable ISOfix base.
March the 20th 2017
Woody is beginning to look uncomfortable, so I have taken out the infant support that sat behind his neck and head, leaving the thin foam (so still to give some support).
It was really easy to remove as it is secured with Velcro and has made all the difference. Woody is much more comfortable and positioned better.
I couldn’t find any specific advice to suggest when to remove the infant support by Britax but think if you are questioning your child’s comfort and position – it’s time to take it out.
BRITAX ADVISE YOU TO ONLY USE THEIR APPROVED ACCESSORIES
The insert for extra support offers energy absorption in case of an impact; although Woody is ready for it to be removed (aged 13 weeks) it has been fantastic for the first few weeks of his life and essential for a newborn in my opinion.
BRITAX ADVISE YOU TO ONLY USE THEIR APPROVED ACCESSORIES
March the 27th 2017
Despite a few issues I had initially I really love this car seat. It now fastens with little effort required and my son sits and sleeps in it happily and because of the lie flat positioning, I feel happy enough to leave him in it whilst I have a quick cuppa!
March the 29th 2017
Britax have kindly sent us a raincover so that we can use the BABY-SAFE on my pushchair. Perfect timing with today’s rain. Putting it to the test already!
BRITAX ADVISE YOU TO ONLY USE THEIR APPROVED ACCESSORIES
April the 3rd 2017
The superior side impact protection is so easy to use but gives that extra reassurance that all possible measures to keep my son safe are in place.
Simply unscrew the side that sits next to the door of your car until extended fully and off you go!
April the 12th 2017
We’ve had lots of dreary wet weather this week and have put to use the rain cover. Easy to put on and good design meaning you can hold the handle of the carrier without compromising baby’s coverage.
It has saved me from an unhappy, soggy baby on the nursery run! (I find the hood quite short and doesn’t cover my son from the elements adequately without it).
April the 24th 2017
We have a new car and checking that the car seat and base was compatible with it was extremely important and easy to do. Simply follow the ‘fit finder’ instructions at britax.co.uk and fill in some simple details about your car. It tells you quickly whether or not your car is compatible with the seat and where it will best fit. Wonderful!
May the 4th 2017
This week Woody and I are making our last review of the Britax BABY-SAFE i-SIZE.
After three months of testing we have reached the stage where I choose to remove Woody from the seat rather than carry him in it. This being down to the sheer combined weight of him and the seat.
Thankfully the buckle is now much easier to fasten that at the start. I think for future car seats, it would be great to have a base that swivels so that Woody could face me as I fasten his belt and I didn’t have to lift him over the sides of the car seat itself as it’s limited access can sometimes mean his arms get stuck underneath him when I initially put him in. (Woody is now 5 months old).
Final Summary
Overall I’m pleased with this car seat. Here are my Pros and Cons.
Pros:
- Attractive
- High safety rating
- Lie flat technology
- Spacious
- Easy to fit with seat belt
- Long suitability
Cons:
- Fiddly harness
- Hard to access the seat when in the car
- Indicators to let you know when the seat is fitted on the base safely are not easily visible
- Headrest is not easily altered (mechanism stiff – requires two hands)
I give this car seat 4 out of 5 stars as although some aspects could be improved to make day to day journeys less stressful, my son is very comfortable and safe when travelling and the seat will last a long while yet making it good value for money.
